Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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277. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to further extend social insurance benefits to the self-employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21588/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government is committed to improving the position of people who are self-employed generally, including the commitment to extend PRSI coverage for self-employed people. As part of Budget 2017, I introduced a number of important measures which will benefit self-employed people, namely the extension of cover in 2017 for treatment benefits and invalidity pension.

I have already indicated my intention to examine the further extension of benefits to self-employed people. In doing this I will take account of the recently published results of a survey of self-employed workers and of the forthcoming actuarial review of the social insurance fund.

The results of the survey of self-employed workers, which I published last week, indicate that the main benefits to which self-employed people would like access are long-term illness, short-term illness and unemployment benefits. It also indicated that self-employed people are open to paying a higher rate of social insurance in return for additional benefits.

Work is currently underway on the actuarial review of the social insurance fund by independent actuaries. Their work will include an examination of the cost of extending individual benefits self-employed people.

Together these two reports will inform the development of benefits for self-employed people and I hope to be in a position to announce further changes later this year.